Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Since 1979, the experienced Philadelphia car accident and auto product liability and automobile defect lawyers of Reiff and Bily have handled tens of thousands of car accident cases. Over the three decades of our legal practice, we began to notice more and more significant injuries and deaths to victims due to seat belt failures, airbag defects, tire defects, as well as seat back failures and motor vehicle crashworthiness issues. While many attorneys look for the easy “A” and fail to explore issues beyond normal negligence theories, we began to pioneer inroads into auto defects, automobile manufacturer failures, and design defects which resulted in significant catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths. Of course, the learning curve was significant and the costs were quite expensive. However being curious lawyers committed to the best interests of our clients, we understood that there were many puzzles to be solved, and since have successfully resolved many cases against not only offending third party defendants or negligent automobile drivers but also against the automobile manufacturers and automobile component manufacturers as well. We practice car accident law with the same degree of intensity required for the most complex cases. We understand that when you put your mind to it, it can be done and further understand that chance always favors the prepared mind.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily are committed to automotive and motorist safety and always offer a free, no obligation consultation and a no recovery, no fee guarantee. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

In 2004, a 15 passenger church van rolled over. The plaintiffs’ lawyers representing the deceased victims argued that the Ford Motor Company knew that the vehicle had faulty tires but refused to do anything about it. Plaintiffs’ attorney stated to the jury “the evidence is uncontested that Ford made a conscious decision to not communicate information to dealerships and they made a conscious decision not to tell their customers.” The facts of the case alleged that a tread separation and tire defect of the van’s rear right tire, manufactured by Goodyear, caused the accident. Plaintiffs’ attorney claimed that Ford (the manufacturer of the 15-passenger 1993 E-350 Ford Econoline van) knew about the recall and was negligent for never informing its dealers or customers. However, not so surprising in this case, is the fact that Ford claims the deaths of the driver and passenger was due to their not wearing seat belts. The case has not yet gone to the jury.

As an experienced Pennsylvania 15 passenger van and SUV rollover attorney who has investigated and litigated many rollover claims involving tire defects over the years, one thing is for certain, that these vans and SUVs have a higher center of gravity and when fully loaded become very unstable if a tire should experience a blowout due to a defect or the driver enters into a sudden accident avoidance maneuver. I trust that the jury will carefully evaluate all of the evidence and render a just verdict in the California courtroom where this case is being tried. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

I just returned back to Philadelphia from the West Coast and observed a fairly familiar scene which was more horrific to me and should be to any of my readers than any Halloween or haunted attraction, namely a rerun of a scene that I have witnessed all too many times.

While traveling down a highway at a high rate of speed, I saw a 15-passenger van loaded with college students on their way to a sporting event. The van approached a curve at what I consider to be too high a speed, and narrowly avoided rolling over which would have surely resulted in catastrophic injuries and potential deaths to the young occupants. The driver was barely able to prevent a van rollover accident.

As an experienced 15 passenger van and rollover accident attorney for many decades, one can not imagine the horror inflicted upon unknowing and innocent occupants of these vehicles during a normal accident avoidance maneuver which results all too many times in a catastrophic 15-passenger van rollover. Unfortunately, many of the occupants of these vehicles are churchgoers following God’s way or school children on their way to a sporting event or class outing. Last year, over 1,000 people were killed or injured in 15-passenger van crashes. Unfortunately, there is still in excess of 500,000 of 15-passenger vans on America’s roadways. The 15-passenger van was a modified design of a van originally meant to carry cargo. As the 15-passenger van becomes fully loaded with occupants and luggage, the rollover rate increases significantly due to its high center of gravity and extended rear section. If this occurrence is coupled with an inexperienced driver, defective tires, or an accident avoidance maneuver, the horror is unimaginable and often results in the loss of innocent and young lives. The automobile manufacturers and their well versed attorneys will tell you that these vehicles are very safe and have passed many stringent safety tests. However, as an experienced 15-passenger van and rollover attorney, I am aware of internal corporate documents possessed by the automobile manufacturers that clearly indicate the dangers of these vehicles. So the question that begs to be answered is why are they still being used by so many daycare centers, senior citizen centers, churches, sports teams, and schools when they are so extremely hazardous and dangerous. Simply put, automobile and 15-passenger van manufacturers continue to emphasize profitability over safety, and all too many people do not know about the dangers of these vehicles until they receive a frantic phone call informing them of an accident.

Continue reading "15-Passenger Vans Are More Horrific Than Anything Else You Will Come Into Contact With During Halloween Season" »

We all pay a lot of taxes and when we drive down the roads and streets in our cars with precious cargo on board, we expect that city, state, and federal governments who we pay taxes to will keep the streets safe and free from roadway defects. Many times unfortunately this is not the case and roadway hazards and defect designs puts the safety of drivers and passengers at risk and unfortunately result in catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths. Improper signage, negligent construction, worn roadways, and improper highway design jeopardize the safety of all drivers and if any of these situations causes a car accident, truck accident, or rollover accident the municipality may be held liable for negligence.

The experienced Pennsylvania car accident lawyers and highway defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily have over 30 years of experience handling car accidents and roadway defects including but not limited to lack of guardrails, lack of signs, construction negligence, potholes, uneven roadway, water pooling, shoulder drop offs, and municipal negligence.

If you have been involved in a car accident due to a defective/improper roadway design, please contact one of our Philadelphia car accident and highway defect attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

The National Center for Statistics Analysis indicated that over a quarter of a million children are injured every year in car accidents which means that over 700 are injured every day while traveling on the roadways of America. Thousands of children are killed as a result of their failure to use a seat belt, seat belt malfunction, or the improper installation and usage of a child safety seat. Many times catastrophic injuries and deaths are caused by defectively designed or manufactured child safety seats despite all of the proper precautions being taken by responsible parents. The week of September 24th has been designated as National Child Passenger Safety Week, and many organizations such as AAA and local police and fire departments are offering safety seat and seat belt checkpoints.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer for over 30 years who has also investigated and litigated many seat belt defect and child car seat defect claims, it is important that parents perform due diligence prior to purchasing and using a child safety seat. All children should remain in a child safety seat or booster seat until age 8 or older unless they are 4'9" tall. Statistics indicate that 4 out of 5 children age 6 to 8 who were killed in car crashes were improperly restrained or not belted at all according to a AAA study. In almost all auto seat defect cases, the manufacturers will claim that most parents improperly installed the seat and did not follow the manufacturers instructions. Unfortunately many times, sadly this is the case, and safety must never be an option whether it be by manufacturers of infant seats or by parents who take shortcuts in securing their children. Most car accidents occur 5 minutes from the home and all too often parents don’t give a second thought that their child seat may not be properly installed.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a child seat accident, it pays to have a careful and detailed investigation of the facts to determine who is or may be responsible for resulting catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. The defective child seat and Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff & Bily has been litigating car accidents involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths to children and defective child seats for over three decades and has recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Together our skilled auto product liability and defective child seat lawyers have recovered billions of dollars on behalf of thousands of injured victims and their families since 1958. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

In a positive sign for plaintiffs’ lawyers and their clients involved in litigation against Toyota over problems regarding sudden acceleration, a Federal judge in California has tentatively decided not to dismiss the first of hundreds of lawsuits. Over 14 million vehicles were recalled by Toyota due to acceleration problems in several models together with brake defects. Toyota has maintained that the problems were due to driver error, faulty floor mats, and sticky accelerator pedals for the unintended acceleration and this issue is being contentiously fought by many auto defects and plaintiffs’ catastrophic injury and wrongful death lawyers deeply committed to consumer and automobile safety.

The Pennsylvania auto product defect and unintended acceleration law firm of Reiff & Bily is committed to consumer safety and has successfully represented the interests of catastrophically injured and their families for over three and a half decades. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney who has successfully litigated many airbag defect and vehicle products defect, I am well aware that automotive airbags are supposed to deploy within milliseconds to protect lives and avoid catastrophic injuries in the event of an accident. An airbag is inflated by highly compressed gas commonly known as nitrous oxide and a metallic charger. Many times due to a sensor defect or due to a charger malfunction, the airbag does not deploy properly.

Over the last year, hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles were recalled in the United States for airbag defects including but not limited to low speed deployment, early deployment, late deployment, or non-deployment. The airbag was invented in the 1950's and have been consistently redesigned and developed in the 1970's to the present. Unfortunately as the number of airbags being placed in vehicles has increased, there seems to be a lack of quality in airbag manufacturing and installation as evidenced by the growing number of defect recalls.

With so many different types and manufacture of airbags in vehicles there seems to be an increasing potential of airbag malfunction or airbag failure. Airbags are supposed to prevent drivers and passengers from striking the steering column, dashboard, or windshield and to spread the force of the impact to avoid net trauma, fractures, injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia, and damage to internal organs or wrongful death.

Our skilled Philadelphia airbag defect and auto defect product liability lawyers have determined that many vehicle and airbag manufacturers are taking cost cutting measures including but not limited to negligent installation, inadequate testing, and defective materials. The skilled and experienced Pennsylvania airbag defect lawyers and automotive product defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily believe that safety should never be an option and must always take priority over manufacturers bottom line and profitability. A catastrophic injury or wrongful death caused by an airbag defect can have a profound effect on the victim or their family. A catastrophic injury often requires lifelong care and rehabilitation and can cost millions of dollars. The experienced auto product liability and airbag defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily understand this complex area of law and have represented generations of Pennsylvanians since 1979. Consumer protection is our priority. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. For more information, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

This past Saturday evening, I attended a local dinner party and while I was sipping a glass of wine, I heard a shrill chirping or beeping sound. When I asked what it was, I was told that one of the guests had brought a portable breathalyzer. Interestingly enough, I thought that this little device was a great way to give myself and others at the party a little peace of mind by allowing the hosts to rest assured that they were not allowing someone, including myself, to drive when they are legally impaired, as well as allowing individuals attending the party to benchmark themselves.

Interestingly enough a discussion ensued and those who tested at or near the levels of intoxication were requested to turn over their keys and have a designated driver take them home or call a cab. I must confess, I liked this idea and as an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer who has investigated some of the most tragic cases involving intoxicated drivers, I placed my own order for a portable breathalyzer on Sunday morning. Of course, one must be careful that the portable breathalyzer does not give a false sense of security and I advise anyone who doubts that a person should not be driving and who appears to be impaired to confiscate that individual’s keys regardless of the results of the breathalyzer. Even if the breathalyzer notes that a person is not intoxicated, if someone is stumbling, slurring words, or otherwise acting incapable of driving, confiscate their keys because even if a police breathalyzer test shows you are not at the legal limit, you can still be arrested and charged with impaired driving if you exhibit the above symptoms.

Surprisingly the prices for these devices online range anywhere from $38 to less than $150 for a professional model. In fact, many might state that this is cheaper than a good bottle of wine or dinner for two at a restaurant. I urge all of our readers to consider purchasing a portable breathalyzer as "chance favors the prepared mind".

Continue reading "Portable Breathalyzer A Big Hit At A Dinner Party - Experienced Car Accident Attorney Thinks It’s A Great Idea For All Guests To Test Themselves Before Getting Behind The Wheel Of A Car" »

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I was surprised to review data findings of a Philadelphia based automotive safety research project which concluded that children were half as likely to be injured in a car accident with their grandparents rather than their parents were driving.

As one who spends quite a bit of time on the highways and streets and has been a practicing car accident attorney for over 30 years in Philadelphia, after considering the results of the study and evaluating the results, I thought to myself that many more of the car accidents that I have litigated have involved younger people as well. The study concluded that there were several possible explanations for the better car accident safety record of grandparents versus parents driving. Grandparents have more time on their hands, are not as rushed, and not as stressed. Grandparents may not be multitasking rushing between work, dinner, and child activities. Grandparents do not speak on cell phones or text as much as younger drivers. Grandparents transporting grandchildren were less likely to be involved in an accident on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or higher. Of particular consideration is the average age of the grandparents in the study was only 58. According to statistics from the National Highway Safety Administration, there are more than 38 million American drivers beyond age 65 and overall this group of drivers has the greatest likelihood of being involved in an auto accident making the study findings even more surprising. The study also revealed that grandparents were also less likely to use child safety seats than were parents and more than a quarter of the grandparents used less than optimal child restraints, while 2% failed to use any at all.

The Philadelphia car accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily are committed to auto safety and have represented generations of Pennsylvanians since 1979. If you or a loved one has been involved in a Pennsylvania car accident, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com for a free, no obligation consultation.

Last week I investigated one of the saddest cases of my three decade car career as a Philadelphia vehicle product defectand Philadelphia car accident lawyer. The case involved a head on collision caused by another driver who was texting at the time of the accident causing the texting driver to swerve into the opposite lane of travel hitting another vehicle head on killing the young woman driver. Upon my investigation of the vehicles involved, I was surprised to see that although the vehicles were the same size, one of the vehicles had extensive crush and dashboard intrusion, and it also appeared that the driver’s seat came off of its track and was forced into the dashboard with the resulting impact forces. The other vehicle’s damage from the accident forces was minimal in comparison.

As an auto product safety lawyer who has successfully handled many vehicle product liability claims, one thing for certain is that there is a big difference in the safety of vehicle occupants depending on the type and manufacture of the vehicle. A simple recall history and investigation of the vehicle deemed non-crashworthy indicated that occupants of similar vehicles had sustained almost identical injuries to the driver and evidence indicated that the vehicle’s poor structural resistance and inability to perform well in crash testing. As our investigation continues, it is readily apparent that we will be pursuing a claim against the offending driver as well as against the automobile manufacturer for  design and manufacturing defects.

In my experience I have found that many attorneys handling car accident cases never look further than the obvious third party defendant or wrongdoer and fail to explore other options such as product liability and crashworthiness theories. The experienced Philadelphia car accident and auto product liability defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily have recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to form the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Since 1958, our skilled product liability and car accident lawyers have been awarded billions on behalf of those catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed. We always offer a free confidential, no obligation consultation to those involved in car accidents. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

I recently had the occasion to attend a church meeting where the latest church outing and tour was being promoted to congregants. Basically when I learned that tour members from the church would be transported in a 15-passenger van, I became extraordinarily concerned.

The experienced 15-passenger van rollover and catastrophic accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily understand from experience that the 15-passenger van may be one of the most deadly and potentially dangerous and deadly vehicles on our highways as they suffer from a multitude of alleged design defects. Almost every summer, we learn of new catastrophic traffic accidents involving churchgoers, tour groups, and students who are unknowing about these defects and dangers of the 15-passenger vans until it is way too late. Many times, 15-passenger vans are operated by church groups or tour groups and driven by inexperienced and untrained drivers, and due to their design have a significant risk of rollover. 15-passenger vans when loaded have a very high center of gravity and design defects create unsafe conditions and instability in accident avoidance maneuver or if there is a tire failure or blowout.

Extensive research done by the experienced 15-passenger van rollover and van accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily and other prominent 15-passenger van attorneys throughout the United States has indicated that manufacturers knew of defects yet continued to sell vehicles due to high profit margins despite minimal expenditures despite defects. Approximately 30 American states prohibit schools or daycare centers from using 15-passenger vans and I will not let my own children or friends that I care about travel in one of these. As Louis Pasteur once famously was quoted as saying “chance favors the prepared mind”, and being an advocate and stalwart of consumer safety, if you are aware of the dangers of this vehicle, do yourself a favor and take another means of transportation.

Continue reading "Can Tour Groups and Church Groups Prevent Accidents Before They Occur? - Experienced 15-Passenger Van Rollover Attorney Thinks So" »

According to a recent study by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a coalition of consumer health and safety organizations, as well as automobile insurers, Pennsylvania gets the lowest grade for protecting people on its highways. The Executive Director of the group who performed the survey states that Pennsylvania is really not doing much to protect its citizens. Since it is Teen Driver Safety Week and a recent State Farm survey indicated that teen drivers have the highest incidents of car accidents and catastrophic injuries and fatalities, it is surprising that the Pennsylvania legislature still keeps it legal for 16-year old motorists to call for a pizza from behind the wheel. Also, it should be noted that October is the highest month for teenage automobile accidents.

This experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer is all too familiar with handling the catastrophic results of car accidents. It is time to get smart and jump on the bandwagon.

Summer is upon us and as an experienced Philadelphia personal injury and Pennsylvania car accident attorney since 1979, we have seen an increase in claims involving children when school season is over. Children are typically injured in bicycle accidents, swimming pool accidents, and car accidents while being transported to camps or summer programs. As a matter of fact in 2008 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 9.2 million children had visited emergency rooms for unintentional non-abuse injuries during the summer season. Accidents are one of the leading causes of death among children with approximately 12,000 fatalities a year.

Parents and physicians normally concern themselves with the objective physical injuries. As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I have seen and investigated situations involving post-traumatic stress in families of children who have been in car accidents. Typically the symptoms happen after traditional trauma care when the children return to their homes from the emergency room or hospital and begin to have nightmares.

The accidents that typically kill young children are car accidents and drownings. I recommend the website maintained by the CDC Injury Center for suggestions on keeping your family safe (cdc.gov/injury/podcast.html#hrs). Every parent has an obligation to protect their child from dangerous injuries. Some steps to be observed are parental supervision at swimming pools, use of seat belts in vehicles, and in this experienced car accident lawyers opinion, keeping your children out of 15-passenger vans while being transported to camp or summertime activities.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, swimming pool accident, or other trauma inducing incident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania car accident and injury lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

I have been an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney since 1979 handling tens of thousands of car accident claims and unfortunately have dealt with significant amount of tragedies involving teenage drivers. It is inevitable that most of us will have to deal with a teenage driver with cross currents of maturity factors, safety features, and other issues and concerns. I am currently working on a case where a 17-year old child was presented by his father with a souped-up sports car and 4 days after he obtained his license he took the car on a joy ride which catastrophically injured a 17-year passenger who will have permanent reminders of the accident for the remainder of his life. So then, what is a concerned parent to do?

First of all, this experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer recommends enrolling the child immediately into a driver safety program or reputable driving school. If you choose to purchase a car for your child, please obtain a car with anti-lock brakes and the newest safety features possible and make sure the car is thoroughly inspected. In the last 5 or 10 years, there have been tremendous advances in crash protection and you can check the website for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.iihs.org) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.safercar.gov) to determine crash results and models that you are considering. Both sites post results going back to the 1990's. Look for a car with front, side and head protection airbags, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control. These are all lifesaving features which are worth extra money when considering the value of the precious cargo in the car.

As an experienced rollover accident attorney, I highly advise against purchasing an SUV or a vehicle with a high center of gravity or a sport’s car. It is best to secure a vehicle with a 5 star safety rating and of course, always remind your child never to text or use a cell phone while driving and never, ever, ever drive while drinking. Also stress the importance of seat and shoulder belts.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a Pennsylvania car accident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced car accident attorneys for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer, I am amazed by how many people are afraid to drive a car and how much their fears can arise to a position totally impairing their ability to concentrate and drive safely. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death by injury worldwide and according to a recent study, people ages 15 to 44 account for over half of all deaths due to road traffic injuries. If you are crippled by fear when driving an automobile, chances are you may be driving too slow or applying the brakes too frequently and acting as a hazard to other drivers on the road. As driving a vehicle requires concentration and a set of skills, it is suggested that one who sustains driving anxiety take a driving course with a professional driving instructor to be coached into a psychological comfort zone and learn successful defensive driving techniques that can systematically reduce crash rates and mitigate potential liability.

There are many new cutting edge anticipation based methods and techniques that are easy to remember and repeat that will make a safe and confident driver out of a nervous one. The result will be less stress and less chance for injury in everyone’s life.

The experienced Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff & Bily has been committed to motorist safety since 1979.

When I went to high school, driver’s ed was a requirement and made me a much safer driver. Unfortunately, driver’s ed classes which were once a mainstay in high school have become almost non-existent in suburban Pennsylvania high schools as they have in high schools around the country. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Education dropped driver’s education from its list of priority programs when federal funding disappeared. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2008, approximately 3,500 people in the United States ages 15 to 19 were killed in car accidents with more than 350,000 seriously injured. Teen drivers incur more fatalities and injuries per mile than any other age group. A spokesman for MidAtlantic AAA, Katherine Rossy, noted that AAA would like to see driver’s ed reestablished as federal priority so that states could implement standardized courses increasing behind the wheel training. The experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily are committed to motorist safety and call for re-instituting driver’s ed in our high schools.

According to an article published in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Pennsylvania was noted to be the sixth worst state in the country when it comes to driver safety legislation which ultimately leads to more Pennsylvania car accidents. According to the article, Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety graded states on whether they enacted laws regulating 15 safety-related items such as requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets, restricting teenagers from driving unsupervised after 10:00 p.m. or with multiple teenage passengers, and banning texting while driving. Pennsylvania was among nine states ranked as “red” for lacking many of the groups recommended restrictions and furthermore, Pennsylvania dinged for not making violations of its seat belt and booster seat laws “primary” offenses, meaning that police cannot cite drivers who don’t wear seat belts or put children 4 to 7 years of age in booster seats unless another violation such as speeding is observed.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney who handles catastrophic car accident and traffic accident cases throughout the state of Pennsylvania, we strongly urge the following recommendations set forth by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety as follows:

1. Teenagers must be supervised by an adult driver for at least six months and remain citation free before getting a license.

2. Teens must have 30 to 50 hours of supervised practice behind the wheel.

3. Only issue learner’s permits to youth 16 or older.

4. Charge drivers with child endangerment if driving drunk with a child in the vehicle.

5. Ban open containers of alcohol in the vehicle’s passenger area.

6. Mandate blood alcohol testing for any driver killed in a crash or involved in a fatal crash.

7. Require ignition interlock devices for all drunk driving offenders. (Pennsylvania only does this for repeat offenders.)

8. Prohibit drivers younger than 18 from driving between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. (Pennsylvania’s limits start at 11:00 p.m.)

9. Ban teen drivers from using cell phones to call or text even with hands free devices.

10. Prohibit unsupervised teen drivers from having more than 1 non-related teenage passenger in the vehicle.

11. Allow police to ticket motorists for not wearing seat belts as a primary offense.

12. Require motorcycle riders to wear helmets.

13. Require all children ages 4 to 7 to ride in a booster seat as a primary offense.

14. Set the minimum age for unrestricted licenses at 18. (Pennsylvania drivers with no citations or crashes on record can get a full license at 17 years 6 months.)

15. Ban texting while driving for all drivers except for emergencies.

If you check your car operation maintenance manual, you will note that certain lubricants and fluids are to be used in cold weather and tires should be inflated with different pressures. Also freeze protection and antifreeze solutions should be equal to the system protection requirements. It is important when operating your car in the winter that batteries are fully charged and the fuel tank is kept as close to full as possible in case you encounter a situation where you are stranded or stalled on the road. Additionally, steering response in cold weather can be difficult and if you have hydraulic steering, it may be very slow at startup or low temperatures and can cause an accident if you do not use the correct oil or fluid. You can always run the engine when first starting until it reaches operating temperature. Otherwise you may cause severe engine damage and definitely take life and value off of your vehicle.

In December, I was driving my car when all of a sudden due to a faulty fuel pump and a hydraulic steering issue, my car went dead and I skidded down a hill on black ice and into a fence, blocking a highway and becoming a sitting target for other vehicles on the icy road. I was completely unprepared for this situation as I was not dressed appropriately and after 2 1/2 hours of waiting for a tow, I was chilled to the bone. Therefore, I might also add, it is important to dress appropriately by wearing layers of warm clothing with proper ventilation. In the cold weather, always be careful when entering and exiting a vehicle as slip and falls are common. Also, clean your vehicle of snow to avoid the snow missile that could cause harm or injury to other vehicles on the road. At times of bad weather, we have to depend on each other for safe travel and our goal is to be safe every day.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily are committed to motorist safety. If you or a loved one has been involved in car accident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident attorneys for a free no obligation consultation.

The other night I was telling my 15-year old son that I never drove with a seat belt when I was a teenager and as a matter of fact, remember being a young child and our car did not even have seat belts. When I was a teenager, I didn’t give seat belts a second thought and no self respecting teenager gave them much thought. It just was not cool. However, years later the original seat belt turned into the belt and shoulder strap which then became an integrated unit. Then as consumer advocates and auto product liability lawyers marched forward in the interests of consumer safety, manufacturers started to install airbags. Man car freaks, auto manufacturers and lawyer bashers state yes there was life before seat belts and airbags. As an experienced Philadelphia product airbag attorney, I can tell you there was much death and catastrophic injury before seat belts and airbags.

In a season where the roads are often covered with ice and snow, this experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer advises all readers to buckle their seat belts up because even a minor impact can lead to catastrophic injuries if you are not belted. Statistics recognize that people who buckle up generally only sustain minor injuries in an accident whereas people who are not belted have a greater risk of death and serious injury.

As I started practicing automobile product liability law, buckling my seat belt became reflexive and I am quick to admonish anybody who gets in my car or anyone else’s car who does not use a seat belt. We are thankful for advancements in automotive safety and I thank all of the product liability lawyers committed to fighting the major automobile manufacturers who still try to place profitability over consumer safety.

According to a recent news report, the District of Columbia decided that its periodic motor vehicle safety inspections are unnecessary “flab.” Unbelievably the D.C. Council stated that a lack of data failed to prove that periodic safety inspections saves lives.

As a Philadelphia car accident lawyer for 30 years, I know the importance of periodic safety inspections and even though the economy is tight, postponing repairs (which is becoming more common these days) can often lead to a catastrophic consequence, including fatalities and serious injury. Many consumers complain that when their car is inspected, the mechanics always find something expensive that needs fixing such as brakes or tires.

Since 1989, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last looked at state inspection programs and concluded that periodic checks definitely cut the number of poorly maintained vehicles on the road. There was a debate whether or not there should be a federal mandate. However, NHTSA decided it is still an issue that should be determined by the states and that changing the same would require new congressional legislation. NHTSA’s official position is that safety inspections remain an issue that should be left to the states and that only the federally mandated annual emission inspections are still necessary for areas of poor quality. However such inspections only look at emissions equipment.

Continue reading "District of Columbia Does Away With Automobile Car Safety Inspections - Experienced Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer Hopes Other States Do Not Follow Suit - Who Really Pays The Price?" »

I was in Florida yesterday and rented a car with a business associate of mine and took for granted that the same safety features present on a privately owned Chevrolet Impala motor vehicle would be standard on the rental vehicle. I surprisingly discovered that this was not so.

According to investigation by the Kansas City Star, Enterprise Rent-A-Car chose to leave side airbags from thousands of Chevrolet Impala cars in order to save millions of dollars. According to the article authored by Rick Montgomery and Ann Margolis of the Kansas City Star, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the nation’s largest private buyer of new cars and several used ones choose to “delete” a standard safety feature from thousands of Chevrolet Impala fleet vehicles. Enterprise rented out thousands of 2006-2008 model vehicles without side curtain airbags which have been shown to dramatically reduce deaths and catastrophic injuries.

Continue reading "The Car You Rent May Not Necessarily Be As Safe As an Identical Car That You Own - Be Careful Warns Experienced Automobile and Airbag Defect Lawyer" »